ORANGE BEACH, Alabama -- Residents and visitors to the Gulf Coast will get to indulge their inner beer snob Saturday with 175 different beers from 52 breweries available at the second Top of the Hops beer festival from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Marina Lawn at The Wharf in Orange Beach.

The festival will feature beers from as far away as New Zealand, and several brewed in Alabama. Eight of the 52 participating breweries are from Alabama, including the Druid City Brewing Company of Tuscaloosa, Good People Brewing Company of Birmingham, Fairhope Brewing Company in Fairhope, Blue Pants Brewery in Madison, Straight to Ale in Huntsville, and Back Forty Beer Company of Gadsden.

Festival organizer Trevor Starns of Red Mountain Entertainment said
he thinks people are really excited about the Bud-Busch Cask Garden,
which will offer limited samplings of beer straight from the cask it's
brewed in, unfiltered and non-carbonated.

"Those are one of the things that people are really excited about," Starns said. "It's something different for people to try out. Brewers tend to experiment so it's one of those things that they may try it once and see if it does well."

Back Forty will have its Naked Pig Pale Ale and Freckle Belly IPA available from the cask. Fairhope Brewing Company will have its Football Saison, and Druid City and Blue Pants will have cask beers.

As the primary sponsor, Abita will have all of its in-season beers available, including the new Strawator Strawberry Doppelbock.

Besides just the drinking, Good People is sponsoring a 16-team bracket-style cornhole tournament to determine the real king of throwing bean bags into holes cut out of pieces of wood.

Samuel Adams is also sponsoring a Brew University area with seminars on topics that include Cooking With Beer, Brewing 101, Pairing Beer with Food and more.

Advance ticket prices are $35 for general admission, $75 for VIP, $15
for Designated Driver and $25 for VIP Designated Driver. People admitted
under general admission will receive a two-ounce souvenir sampling mug,
festival guide and unlimited beer tastings. VIP ticket-holders start
their beer tasting an hour early and will have additional special beer
selections and appetizers from local restaurants, among other extras. To
purchase tickets, visit ticketmaster.com, go to The Wharf Box Office or a Tacky Jack's restaurant, or call 1-800-745-3000.